Honeybees at the COC

The Canadian Opera Company is delighted to be part of the ever-growing support of honeybees, Currently we host seven hives onthe roof of our opera house, the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Follow the honeybees' progress on Parlando, with visits and posts from beekeeper Fred Davis!

Update from Fred

Beekeeper Fred Davis updates us on the honeybees' progress:

I've been trying to keep a watchful eye on the two hives during this summer. It's been hot and muggy and I was concerned that the humidity would have a negative impact on how much capped honey we would get this season and on the bees' overall behaviour. The bees will not add the important enzyme that preserves honey or cap the cells where the nectar is stored it until the humidity level of the nectar is about 18%. Honeybees stand at the opening to the hive and use their wings as fans to cool it off. That helps to maintain a 93 degree F temperature within.

Well, the bees surprised us all. Two weeks ago we removed and spun out about 80 lbs of honey. The honey frames went back on the hive two days later. We hope to get a good second harvest some time in the early Fall.

And here are some pictures, taken by Fred's wife, Barb.

Look how tall our bee hives are! They're bee condominiums now!

Fred smokes the bees, to relax them, making removal of the frames easier for everyone.

Fred's son, Sam, gives the thumbs up. This was an unbelieveably hot and humid day to be so heavily covered up.

Some of the frames had been removed at this point.

Sam checks out a frame.

The raw honey is simply poured through a sieve to keep out any large, unwanted bits. The rest is pure, edible sweetness!

Update from Fred

Beekeeper Fred Davis updates us on the honeybees' progress:

We're in the second leg of the season for the honeybees. They've survived the cool Spring weather and are now facing hot Summer months. They seem to have made themselves at home and have produced some honey. We're keeping a close eye on them, the queens and the weather!

To Swarm or not to Swarm

A swarm of bees is a rare occurrence. When the bees lose their home, or feel they have to leave, they gather around their queen in a clump and await the return of scout bees who are looking for a new spot. An interesting fact is that the bees are at their most docile in a swarm as they have no home to protect.